Angola Portugal treated the people of Angola with contempt and indifference for five centuries of colonization. From as early as the 1400s to the 20th century, the Africans under the Portuguese rule only knew of slavery, hunger and bloodshed.

Before the arrival of the Europeans, Angola was the home to many different African tribes. The first to arrive were the Bushmen, who were successful hunters and gatherers despite their simple existence. They have been discriminated against by other African tribes as well as Western countries for hundreds of years. By the beginning of the 6th century, a technologically advanced people called the Bantu came from the north and overpowered the Bushmen. The Bantu were master craftsmen and quickly dominated the other cultures with their excellent ability for metalworking, ceramics and agriculture. In fact, Angola derives its name from the Bantu kingdom of Ndongo, whose name for its king was ngola. The Bantu formed the Kingdom of the Kondo, one of the most powerful kingdoms in Africa during the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries.

Angolan peoples generally traced descent through their mothers, and lineages or extended families were important in social life. A man valued his wife because of the children she could give him, the garden that she provided and her ability to cook.

One of the larger branches of the Bantu, called the Ngangela, dwelled in circular living areas called kuimbo. A family group of between 20 and 40 people would be under the leadership of one...

In addition, a number of nephews might have attached themselves to a particular uncle. This family leader had many responsibilities to his extended family. For example, he would be the one to pass along important information that affected the entire family or would have to ensure safety and the necessary shelter and food.
Ngangela society was held together by the general principle of good behavior. A good person was one who respected others, was willing to resolve problems, acted as a friend to all others in the tribe, and who did not cause problems. A youth who reached adulthood without learning proper respect could be put to death by the tribe.

By the end of the 15th century, the Portuguese had sent Catholic missionaries and skilled workers to the Kongo Kingdom, and some Kongolese had gone to Portugal for schooling. In the earlier years of the 16th century, the King of the Kongo, King Afonso, was baptized into the Catholic church. He ruled for 40 years, and much of the country was converted.

A write all this information above in the past tense, because once the Portuguese took control of our country, Christian ways and ongoing strife made us lose close attachment to our culture. In the 1600s, the Portuguese came to our country and started to convert everyone to Christianity to gain control. They assumed political leadership and began using our people as slaves to work their sugar plantations in Brazil. They also wanted the…